Head raising and lowering attachment for drill presses



J. H. DODSON Feb. 16, 1954 HEAD RAISING AND LOWEIRING ATTACHMENT FOR DRILL PRESSES Filed April 7, 1952 INVENTOR Jimesfiflfladsorg BY LN; k W

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16,1954

HEAD RAISING AND LOWERING ATTACH- MENT FOR DRILL PRESSES .lames Dodson, Mobile, Ala. Application April 7, 1952., Serial No. 280,881:

., 3.Claims. (Cl.77-28) -The.p'resent invention relates to drill presses,

and-more especially to those of the type having a hollow upright column on the upper end of which a head carrying the drill spindle is mounted.

In pressesof this type, the head is normallylocked to the column during operation, but in order to adjust the press to accommodate a wider range of work, it becomes necessary'to raise or lower the head on the column. Such adjustments are-diflicult'to make and are dangerousto the operator because the head is heavy, especially when, as usual, it carries an electric motor for driving the drill spindle.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an attachment which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction and may readily be applied to drill presses of the type referred to without requiring any modification of the press, and which enables the drill press head to be raised or lowered easily and with safety to the operator, the attachment when applied avoiding interference with either the work to be operated upon by the press or with the usual operation of the press.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an attachment which is connected to the 'press head in alinement with the column and centrally of the weight of the head, so that the force applied by the attachment to raise or lower the head will be in alinement with the column,

and the head will therefore glide smoothly and with minimum friction on the column.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drill press of a conventional type provided with the head raising and lowering attachment according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of a locking device for clamping the head in different adjusted positions on the column.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals in the different views.

In the present instance the invention is shown applied to a conventional type of bench press comprising a base I adapted to be mounted on a bench or table 2, a tubular upright column 3 of cylindrical cross-section having its lower end fixed rigidly in the rear portion of the base, and a head 4 which is fitted as usual to slide upwardly or downwardly on the upper end of the column, the head carrying the usual vertical drill spindle 5 provided usually with a drill chuck 6 and with .levers I for-rotating a shaft 8 connected as usual to the drill spindle for feeding the drill to the work, which may be supported on a table 9 which is usually mounted on the column for vertical adjustment and secured thereon by a locking device Ill. The portionof the head in which the drill spindle is mounted, as usual in presses of this type, extends forwardly from the column 3, and a portion of the head extends rearwardly from the column and has an electric motor I I fixed thereon for driving the drill spindle through a belt pulley I2 and abelt I3 which cooperates with a similar pulley connected to the drill spindle in the usual manner, the motor at the rear of the head counterbalancing the forward portion of the head which carries the drill spindle.

Heretofore, the head has been locked at the desired height on the column, usually by a locking device I4 which may comprise a pair of clamping members lda which grip the column under the action of a screw Mb, and when an adjustment was to be made, the head was unlocked, which released the support for the head and motor, and as these parts are heavy, such an adjustment could be made only with difiiculty andwith dangerbf dropping down of the head and motor and consequent'liability of injury to the operator or damage to the press.

These difficulties and objections are avoided by the present invention, which may be applied readily as an attachment to existing drill presses. It comprises a sling which suspends the head in alinement with the column and substantially centrally of the weight of the head and motor, and means cooperative with the sling for raising and lowering the head by a force applied in alinement with the column. Preferably as is shown in the present instance, the sling comprises a yoke I5 composed of a strip of relatively rigid metal having legs I6 which are secured respectively to the opposite sides of the head substantially at the center of weight of the head and motor by bolts I'I threaded into the sides of the head at diametrically opposite sides of the column, the yoke extending upwardly and transversely across the top of the column. A screw I 8 extends upwardly from the column and is suitably fixed non-rotatably at its upper end to the top of the yoke in alinement with the axis of the column, as by heading over the upper end of the screw as shown at I9. The screw I3 extends through and cooperates with a nut 20 which is fixed non-rotatably in the upper end of a tube 2| which is smaller than and mounted concentrically within the tubular column, the nut 20 being rotatable with this tube.

The lower end of the tube 2| is provided with a suitable thrust bearing, such as a flange 22 on its lower end, which rests rotatably on a plate 23 which is secured, as by screws 24, to the lower side of the bench or table on which the press rests, the plate 23 supporting through the tube 2i and yoke 15 the weight of the press head and motor. Suitable means, such as a bevel gear 25 pinnedor otherwise fixed to the lower end of the tube 2| anda cooperating bevel gear 26 fixed to a shaft 21 mounted rotatably in bearings 28 on the underside of the plate 23 and provided with a crank 29, provide means for-rotatingathe tube 2| and nut 20 and thereby raising or flowering the screw l9 and the yoke l5 and the head supported thereby.

In operation, when it is desired torraisez or lower the head 4, it is only necessary to loosen the locking device l4 and thereby release-the head so that the head is then supported by the 'screws'and ;nut and the "yoke connected thereto,

and to then arotatethe crank. 29.:inztheappropriate-direction to raise-pr lower-the head'as'de- -sire.d-.'- Rotationof the crank ioperatespthrough "thetbevel-gears to rotate the tubellr-andnut 2'0, and .operatingtoraise or :lower the screw, [8 and :doke' J5 and thehead suspended therefrom, the

screw and nut,supporting theweight of the head and motor "duringtheadjustment. :1 After :-the;desired: adjustment has been; madeyithe-whead may be locked inoperative position on the column by tightening thelocking device [4. ;The co axi;al relation betweenthe-screw and'nut device and sling and the column also: enables the headwhile "supported -thereby to 'bes-wung aside about the column as an axiswithoutgobstruction; if such is-desired;

As the-sling -or-yoke isattached to thehead --at -;thes sides thereof at diametrically opposite sides of the column and at substantially the center of weight ofthe-head and motor, and the screw and nut ar located, co-axially with the column, the force applied, bythe screw andnut to the head in raising or; lowering itwill be applied in alinement with thecolumn, in consequence of which binding or'un'du'e friction of the head on the column isavoided.

' The screw and nut device arehoused within the tubular column whereitwill not obstruct or otherwise interfere with the work to be operated upon by the press, andthe sling or yoke extends upwardly above the column where it will avoid obstructing the operatorin operatingthe press. The attachment is simple and inexpensiv in construction, and it may readily be applied to 1 means for connecting them to opposite sides of the head and having a central portion to extend overJthe top of the column, and means mounted concentrically within the column and connected to the central portion of the sling for .raising or lowering the head.

2. In a drill press of the type comprising a tubular, column and a head mounted for raising and lowering movement thereon and carrying a drill spindle atone side of the column and a counterbalancing drill. spindle operating motor at theoppositesideof the column, a slinghaving a central .portionextending transversely over the top of ..the column. and having legsextending downwardly from its central ortion and attached tothe respective sides of the head at substantially thecenter of weight of, the head and motor and, atv opposite sides of the column, and meansmounted concentrically withingthe column and connected to the central portion of vthe ,s ling for raising or lowering it.

3. In a drill press of thetype comprising a tubular column and a head mounted for raising and ,lowering movement thereon and carrying a drill spindle atoneside of the column, a sling having an upper central portion extending transverselyacross the top of the columnand legs extending downwardly:andlaterally from its upper central portion and attached to therespective sides of the hea'djai Opposite sides of the column, a screw connected atits upper end to the upper central portion. oi the sling and extending downwardly into the column, a tubular member mountedrotatably within the column and concentrically tliereoi 'to receive th lower end of the screw, a nut fixed to the tubular member and cooperating with the screw, andmeans connected to the lower endof the tubular member for rotating it and ,thenut. g I g JAMES H. D DSON;

References Cited inthe file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 2,123,337 I ,Kosman et; a1 -Julyv 12, 1938 2,535,908 .Epplin Dec. 26, 1950 

